I recently spoke with Arianna Taboada, a maternity leave consultant for women entrepreneurs. Today, I am bringing you her best tips for how to prepare for maternity leave as a therapist who is self-employed or in private practice.

This topic is near and dear to my heart, because I became a mom while I had a full and busy private practice. At the time, I didn't know people like Arianna. Thankfully, I was able to take it slow and listen to myself as well as what I believed were the needs of my infant. Of course, every pregnancy, mom, and baby are different; for this reason, the information in this post is meant to provide guidelines for you to create a leave plan that suits you best.

During my time as a post-graduate intern therapist, I held a leadership position in my church. I was the director of the church's counseling center. The position opened my eyes to a variety of organizational dynamics, and it also revealed, over time, what I saw as inconsistencies between the professed personal values and interpersonal habits of some of my leaders.

I brought my feelings about these discrepancies to my clinical supervisor, and she referred to what I was going through as “losses of maturation.”  This term has stuck with me.

Sometimes, we need a nudge in order to prioritize our needs, prime our environments for relaxation, and take care of ourselves with consistent habits. I'm always experimenting with new habits that will help me be more present in my life and work and, as a result, allow me to prioritize what matters most. In this post, I list a variety of products and services that will simplify your days, and make your soul care routine.